1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for the measurement of wind velocities, and particularly to such a system wherein winds aloft can be determined remotely in "clear air" conditions to altitudes of several kilometers.
2. General Description of the Prior Art
Several methods have been employed in the past to determine winds at particular altitudes. These methods have generally required or involved one of the following: the deployment of towers extending to the altitude of interest; the tracking of baloons with or without instrument packages; or the flight of kytoons or aircraft. Additionally, efforts are presently being made to develop systems for the acoustic sensing of atmospheric inhomogeneity. The employment of towers to discrete altitudes, particularly the higher ones, is clearly too expensive. In some instances, it would not be safe, particularly where employed in the vicinity of an airport. The sampling of winds at altitudes by using balloons and instrumented aircraft on a continuous basis is also costly. Acoustic measurement techniques have not as yet proven to be satisfactory.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to overcome the foregoing and other disadvantages and to provide a system capable of effectively and efficiently measuring the velocity of horizontal and vertical winds present at selected positions aloft extending upward to an altitude of at least one kilometer.